Girl from Afghanistan invited to meet ‘Three Cups of Tea’ author before his Auburn talk

View full sizeFrank OrdonezTaiba Dawlat holds âThree Cups of Tea,â a book co-authored by Greg Mortenson. Dawlat attends New York State School for the Deaf in Rome. She lost her hearing in a rocket attack in Afghanistan when she was a toddler. Auburn, NY — When she was 18 months old, Taiba Dawlat lost most of her hearing when a Taliban-fired rocket exploded on her neighbor’s home in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Her father was killed shortly after in another rocket attack launched by the Taliban. When she was 4, Taiba moved to Pakistan with her mother and older brother. Virtually deaf, she could barely talk.

Life wasn’t much better for her in Pakistan. At age 7, Taiba started working full time making rugs, working all day six days a week, except for a short break for lunch. There was no time to play or any opportunity for her — or other poor Pakistani girls — to go to school.

That’s the way it was in Pakistan. Her poignant story illustrates the motivation behind humanitarian and best-selling author Greg Mortenson’s drive to build schools and educate girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

On Wednesday, the worlds of Dawlat and Mortenson — author of “Three Cups of Tea” — intersect in Auburn where he will talk about his ongoing efforts to promote peace and improve education in those war-torn countries.

Dawlat was invited to meet Mortenson after the Auburn Education Foundation, which is sponsoring the author’s talk, learned of her story. Now 19 and living in Utica, Dawlat views Mortenson as a hero.

“I want to thank him for helping my country so much,” Dawlat told The Post-Standard in an e-mail.

She is learning to read and communicate at the Rome School for the Deaf, where she is a student. She and her family fled Pakistan for the United States in 2002.

Greg MortensonDawlat was given hearing aids and now can communicate in English and sign language.Wednesday’s visit

Reception 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Springside Inn; dinner with 300 Auburn students 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Auburn High School cafeteria; talk and slide show, 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Auburn High School auditorium. Book signing, 9 p.m. at school auditorium.
Frank Ordonez/The Post-Standard
Taiba Dawlat holds “Three Cups of Tea,” a book co-authored by Greg Mortenson. Dawlat attends New York State School for the Deaf in Rome. She lost her hearing in a rocket attack in Afghanistan when she was a toddler.

Although she struggles to read and speak clearly, Dawlat has discovered a whole new world — one that brims with newfound hope, a support team and a dream to help others, said her teacher, Jean Gates.

“It feels great to be able to talk to people. I love learning and love to read especially about history and true stories,” Dawlat said.

The upcoming encounter between Dawlat and Mortenson was not lost on Annette Abdelaziz, the Auburn Education Foundation’s executive director.Ticket giveaway

Greg Mortenson not only builds schools. He can fill a house.

Organizers of a lecture by Greg Mortenson have sold all 1,000 tickets for the live event and have arranged a simulcast.

Mortenson will speak at Auburn High School’s auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. A simulcast will be held at East Middle School, 191 Franklin St., Auburn. Simulcast attendants will be able to participate in the question-and-answer period via a live two-way video connection.

The Auburn Education Foundation has provided a set of two tickets to the simulcast and a private reception with the author at 3 p.m. Wednesday to give away to Post-Standard readers. The value of the set of four tickets is $220; all four will be given to one winner, drawn at random.

E-mail features@syracuse.com by 5 p.m. Monday for your chance to win. Please write “Three Cups” in the subject line and include your name and daytime telephone number. One entry per person, please.

Simulcast tickets are $10. They are available at www.auburnedfoundation.org, Auburn Arby’s restaurant, Creekside Books in Skaneateles, and at the door.

“We thought her story was special and we thought our students would love to hear her story. .. “We’re just glad she can come,” Abdelaziz said.

Give Dawlat credit for making the visit happen. She was finishing a young reader’s version of “Three Cups of Tea,” when she learned that Mortenson was coming to Auburn. With help from Gates, her volunteer teacher, Dawlat contacted the foundation and was invited to the reception after telling her story.

Besides thanking Mortenson, Dawlat said she hopes to get his autograph before he speaks at Auburn High School.

Gates, who tutors Dawlat at the Rome school, said the young woman is a model student whose enthusiasm for learning is refreshing.

“She is highly motivated and truly appreciates her life in America,” said Gates, who herself is deaf. “It’s very rewarding to work with a student who has developed a true love of learning.”

Mortenson, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize last year, has built more than 130 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan over the last 15 years. He co-founded the “Pennies for Peace” campaign.

In his latest book, “Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Mortenson wrote, “Teaching girls to read and write reduces the ignorance and poverty that fuel religious extremism and lays a groundwork for prosperity and peace.”

He unwittingly enlisted a disciple in Dawlat, who was moved by “Three Cups of Tea.” Like Mortenson, she values education and someday hopes to put hers to work for a bigger cause.

“I would like to go to college and maybe become a math assistant to the deaf or hard of hearing. I like helping people,” she said.